TikTok owner ByteDance would rather shut down app in US than sell it

ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, has said it would shut down the app and not sell it if those are its only options as the United States (US) threatens a ban. The South China Morning Post (SCMP), while citing sources close to the matter, said ByteDance is unwilling to sell the app to an American buyer, should legal challenges fail.

TikTok’s secret algorithm

A secret algorithm that underpins TikTok’s operations are integral to ByteDance’s overall business, making a sale highly unlikely.